


The Coffee Crew

by jjoopea



Category: GOT7, 커피프린스 1호점 | Coffee Prince
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Baristas, Crew as Family, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Guess who, Inspired by K-Drama | Korean Drama, M/M, Male Friendship, Romantic Friendship, got7 not mentioned lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:02:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24856525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjoopea/pseuds/jjoopea
Summary: A handsome, straight-laced entrepreneur throws together a motley crew of baristas to run his flagship coffee shop. Meanwhile, a certain wildly adorable part-timer seems determined to shake him up.AKA your favorite kpop group as the Coffee Prince crew ;DAAKA a clusterfuck of unknown names to play guess who with. Idk why I wrote this. don't read it lol. maybe I'll revise it someday...
Kudos: 6





	1. Pizza & Comics

Jaewon's phone buzzes from the coffee table. He leans over the edge of the couch, sees _Jerk-sajang_ on the display, and falls back onto the cushions with a sigh. He knows _Sajang-nim_ isn’t a bad person. It's just that he's... difficult ~~sometimes~~ a lot of the time.

Ben walks out of the bathroom, peeking down at Jaewon's phone as he crosses the living room. “Jerk Boss? HA. He’s probably calling to stick you with mopping duty tomorrow. Good luck."

Jaewon scowls as Ben shakes his head and continues on his way. “Night!” He calls before shutting the door to the room he shares with Kyle.

Now that everyone has retreated to their rooms for the night, Jaewon can wallow in peace. He rises from the couch and drags his feet over to the freezer for an ice pop.

Chae's head suddenly pops out of the room he shares with Jay. “Are you eating ice cream?” he asks.

“Yeah, you want one? We only have Tank Boys though…”

“Yes, please!”

Jaewon smiles knowingly and tosses a frozen treat through the air. Chae snatches it with a happy flourish and grants Jaewon with the sunshiniest smile of gratitude. He disappears back into his room and it's quiet again. Jaewon rolls his own frozen treat between his palms, trying to melt it a bit before breaking it open.

A few minutes and exactly three big bites of pear-flavored slush later, Jaewon is already starting to cheer up. He walks back to the coffee table to look down at his phone.

**_Jerk-sajang:_ ** _1 missed call  
_ ** _Jerk-sajang:_ ** _1 unread message_

Reluctant as he is to encourage any form of communication outside of work, he clears the notifications and opens the text. 

**_Jerk-sajang:_ ** _How does pizza sound?_

Jaewon takes another reluctant bite. His shithead co-workers/housemates had all out-voted his request for pizza as they were leaving the coffee shop earlier. Not wanting to eat dinner alone, he'd begrudgingly joined them for chicken and beer even though it was the third time he'd eaten it this week. He crunchesin thought. _Sajang-nim_ must have overheard them arguing about it earlier. 

* * *

Yeong stretches his legs out on the wooden bench and stares out over the edge of the rooftop terrace. The blinking city lights below and the gentle summer breeze ruffling through his freshly washed hair--it's all very soothing, yes--but he’s definitely in some sort of mood tonight. Swirling his glass of wine, Yeong continues ignoring the unopened pizza box next to him. Hopefully Jaewon will take the offer because he can't stomach it right now. Yeong's phone buzzes and he wastes no time in setting aside his wine to read and reply.

**_Jerk-sajang:_ ** _How does pizza sound?_

 **_Part-timer:_ ** _delicious  
_ ** _Part-timer:_ ** _obviously._

 **_Jerk-sajang:_ ** _Do me a favor and come eat some of this pizza then_

 **_Part-timer:_ ** _a favor?  
_ ** _Part-timer:_ ** _wuts in it for me?_

 **_Jerk-sajang:_** _How is free pizza not enough of an incentive?_

 **_Part-timer:_ ** _because it’s a favor?_

 **_Jerk-sajang_** ** _:_ ** _Unbelievable._

Jaewon smiles as he reads _Sajang-nim’s_ last text. He can almost hear the young coffee shop owner’s exasperation at his attempt to haggle. This is the _Sajang-nim_ he likes. 

**_Jerk-sajang:_ ** _Fine.  
_ ** _Jerk-sajang_ **_Name your price_

 **_Part-timer:_ ** _\+ cheese sticks or no deal._

A slow smile spreads across Yeong's face as he stares at the adorably simple terms and conditions. Offering the pizza to Jaewon was definitely the right call.

**_Jerk-sajang:_ ** _Done.  
_ ** _Jerk-sajang:_ ** _You better be on your way in 5 min_

Jaewon pockets his phone and grabs a hoodie from his room, careful not to wake Theo (the man takes his sleep seriously and he's already snoring like mad). He slips into a pair of old sneakers and heads out the door, stomach rumbling at the thought of pizza. It’s lucky _Sajang-nim_ lives so close to the shared house. Wasn't this all just a bit too easy though? Since when was he so obedient to _Sajang-nim's_ every non-work-related beck and call? Jaewon stubbornly holds on to the promise of cheese sticks. He opts to take a short cut through the neighborhood park and tosses his Tank Boy wrapper in a nearby trash can. Feeling the need to outrun the anxiety of being a little too available for his liking, Jaewon sprints the rest of the way to _Sajang-nim’s._

* * *

“Okay, how about this one?”

Yeong drops his slice of pizza to dig into his other pocket. He holds his arm out, prompting Jaewon to guess the coffee bean concealed in his fist by smell alone.

“What’s in it for me if I get it right?” Jaewon asks with a challenging glare.

“Here we go again. Always in it for the bargain. Just like how you made me pay cash up front when I asked you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”

“Excuse me SIR, but that was justified! I helped you sabotage nine blind dates! The word is out. We’re the scandalous new couple in that neighborhood now."

Yeong throws his head back and laughs genuinely at this. 

“I guess it’s a good thing I made those dates all the way across town then, huh?” 

Yeong snickers a little at the subtle self-praise, but Jaewon nods in total agreement. This isn’t usually a topic Yeong can joke about so lightly (his parents were very displeased by the rumors), but here they are. He marvels at the way Jaewon destroys any and all uncomfortable social barriers he comes across. It’s incredibly refreshing. And fun. Yeong hasn’t moved from his stretched out position on the terrace bench since he first invited Jaewon over, but his melancholy mood from earlier has now completely dissipated. 

Jaewon sits criss-crossed on the other side of the bench, hunched over the table and attempting to chomp down on a sandwiched stack of exactly four slices of pepperoni pizza. The human vacuum started on the cheese sticks as soon as they were delivered, about ten minutes after his own arrival to the rooftop. Needless to say, the food Yeong thought would go to waste is already disappearing.

“So what do you want this time?” Yeong asks with a gentle smile, his eyes crinkling lightly at the corners.

“If I guess this coffee bean right, then… show me what's in that spare room you always keep locked up.” 

Jaewon manages to say this rather clearly even with his mouth full of half-chewed pizza. Yeong is momentarily distracted as he watches the dork speak with full cheeks, chubby bunny style. Expressions of awe, mild distaste, and immense fondness bloom on Yeong's face all at once. 

“The spare room?” he asks, still confused and highly entertained by Jaewon's bulging cheeks. “No problem. You’ll probably be disappointed though.”

Jaewon swallows, sets down his pizza sandwich, and holds the fist concealing the coffee bean still, but he can't smell anything. When Jaewon tries to force open his hand, Yeong teases by pulling away and Jaewon takes hold of his wrist in a vice-like grip. They struggle back and forth between curses and giggles until Jaewon finally manages to pry _Sajang-nim’s_ fingers away to reveal the single coffee bean. With a satisfied smile he finally gets a good sniff. 

“Smells like...”

Yeong raises a challenging eyebrow. There’s no way.

“Chocolate and earth. It's mocha mattari.” Jaewon's answer is confident.

When Yeong congratulates him in awe for being right, Jaewon does a quick victory dance around the terrace and then storms inside to claim his prize. Laughing heartily, Yeong stands to clasp his hands behind his back and follows at his own regal pace.

The tiny room at the far end of the renovated rooftop apartment is finally revealed. It’s a small, windowless storage room, but every wall is covered with shelves of books, movies, and music. 

“Woah. You have a mini library,” Jaewon breathes, trailing his fingers over a section of _manhwa_ volumes. 

“Nah, it’s just a hobby room,” the host replies with a humble hand to the back of his neck.

Jaewon spots his favorite _manhwa_ series and pulls the best volume off the shelf. He doesn’t hesitate to lie down on the plush rug and props his heels up on the nearest ledge. Once he’s nice and comfortable, he holds the _manhwa_ up above his face and begins to read.

Yeong grabs his favorite vinyl from a different shelf and starts it up on the record player near the door, turning the volume knob down to low. He pulls a few more volumes of the same _manhwa_ series and sets the stack near Jaewon's head. When he settles down onto the floor, their heads are huddled on either side of the book pile, close enough to talk quietly but far enough to each get lost in their respective comics without distraction. 

When Jaewon is especially quiet for a long while, Yeong speaks up, his voice deeper than usual with oncoming sleep.

“You know, I was really dreading eating that pizza alone tonight. Not sure why you were the first person I thought to call…”

When there’s no response, Yeong rolls over onto his stomach to find Jaewon in a deep sleep. The unfinished book is off to the side, his chest rising and falling with slow, even breaths. Yeong's focus shifts to his upside down view of the part-timer's face. Seeing him so relaxed and peaceful like this is… strange. Maybe it’s because of the late hour, or maybe it’s all the wine he drank on an empty stomach, but the man currently sprawled out on the floor of his secret hiding place is… stunning. Jaewon's dark eyebrows aren’t so wild or expressive now as he sleeps and his skin looks incredibly smooth and soft. Curiosity doubling, Yeong reaches out to touch with feathery fingertips, dusting over his cheek with the lightest of touches. At the same time, an unidentifiable feeling flutters around the edges of his conscience.

The oblivious sleeping beauty sighs and turns his head, leaning into the touch. Yeong retracts his hand and backs up onto his knees as though he’s touched an open flame. 

“Hey. Go sleep at your own house,” _Sajang-nim_ barks and the spell is broken. Jaewon is unresponsive, so _Sajang-nim_ gives the part-timer's shoulder a gruff shove. 

“Mmm?” Jaewon's gravelly voice intones as he squints blearily through one eye.

Yeong stands to usher him out, thoroughly unnerved and uncertain. He needs to get this man out of his house immediately. 


	2. Hot & Cold

The next day at the coffee shop, Yeong gets absolutely nothing done. He's too busy trying to catch another moment with Jaewon at every turn. He follows Jaewon around all day, giving him more coffee beans to guess and extra chores to do, just to watch the part-timer whine and pout even as he grudgingly does as he’s told. 

It's been an odd day for Jaewon. At first he enjoys the extra attention, but eventually it gets to a point where he can’t tell whether _Sajang-nim_ is really trying to show his affection or simply doling out unnecessary punishment. Jaewon has been doing so much extra cleaning that the rest of his coworkers are at a loss for what to do during the lulls.

“What the hell is up with the boss today?” Ben asks no one in particular. He stands near the espresso machine and crosses his arms, eyes narrowing with suspicion. 

Kyle appears at the kitchen window behind his best friend. “Why? What’d he do?” he asks as he continues drying a mountain of clean dishes, a task he’d had to steal away from Jaewon. He waited until _Sajang-nim_ was nowhere in sight and then pushed Jaewon out of the kitchen to give him a break. 

“He keeps making Jaewon do pointless tasks.” Ben continues with a frown, “I saw him move that huge potted plant upstairs and all around the balcony before _Sajang-nim_ finally told him to take it back downstairs again.” 

Kyle nods, glad to hear that someone else noticed it too.“Yeah I had to steal dish duty from him just now, and earlier he was up on a ladder hanging a painting in every direction, but _Sajang-nim_ said to forget it and put it back the way it was…”

They share a puzzled glance as one by one, the rest of the barista crew joins the huddle around the coffee bar. 

“Hmm. Seems like Jaewon has a target on his back today,” Chae chimes in, taking a seat at the coffee bar. He reaches across to steal Ben's iced americano mid-sip. The look Ben shoots back drips with pure contempt but he makes no further protest, vocally, physically, or otherwise. Chae gloats, rather delighted by how easily the coffee was won.

“Do you think _Sajang-nim_ is still mad about the order mix-up?” Kyle asks fearfully. He stops drying the dishes to wring the towel back and forth between anxious hands.

Ben is too busy making himself a fresh coffee (and grumbling at Chae behind his back) to help assuage his best friend's guilt. 

Manager Jay walks up and passes a load of dirty dishes to Theo before leaning on the coffee bar, remembering the incident back when they first opened up shop. “I still wonder how you managed to order twenty kilograms of coffee beans instead of two. You idiot,” he laughs, but Jay's smile is fond as he watches the poor kid hanging his head in self-inflicted misery. 

Theo appears next to Kyle at the kitchen window to drop off the dirty dishes. He throws his arm around sad Kyle and squeezes his shoulder in ressurance. “Hey, we all know it wasn't entirely your fault. Jaewon shouldn’t have pushed the coffee bean order off onto you and _Park-sajang_ shouldn’t have lost his temper at Jaewon the way he did. Everyone has something to feel sorry for, not just you, Kyle.”

When Kyle barely responds, Theo ducks down to meet Kyle's gaze with one of his trademark _aegyo_ looks and doesn't let go until Kyle cracks an annoyed smile. He pushes Theo away with a look of mock exasperation and they break out into a chorus of giggles. 

The baristas fall silent as their attention is collectively caught by _Park-sajang_ and Jaewon again. They all watch on with questioning looks as the pair titters back and forth, even in the presence of customers. Jaewon attempts to escape by grabbing the broom to sweep up some nonexistent dust in the far corner of the shop, but it isn’t long before the boss is following close behind to micromanage him again.

The group's attention is drawn away for a moment when Kyle steals the mocha Ben set down on the serving counter just seconds ago to clean the espresso machine (to which he finally shouts, "Seriously? Make your own drinks you lazy assholes!"), but Theo keeps a shrewd eye on _Park-sajang_ and Jaewon as they continue bickering out of earshot. Jay shoots Theo a curious glance, suspecting he might know more than he’s letting on (because he usually does).

Chae turns away from Ben and Kyle's chaotic play-fighting to address his more subdued coworkers. "At least Jaewon's got a cute nickname now,” he points out with a shrug and a swirl of his (Ben's) americano. 

“Huh?” Ben wonders dumbly, holding Kyle in a half-hearted headlock through the serving window.

“Oh yeah! Wonnie! _Won-ah_!” Kyle shouts, mocking _Sajang-nim_ ’s new pet name for Jaewon. He takes the opportunity to back out of Ben's reach (only to shriek bloody murder when Ben retaliates by vaulting over the counter to block the doorway and trap Kyle in the kitchen). 

Jay calmly ignores the usual best friend antics and purses his lips at the new nickname. “Cute. Not as cute as mine though." He turns away and with his best _aegyo-_ laced voice he croons, “My Won!”

It's a weak attempt, but the normally stoic manager hopes it'll be just unbearable enough to pull _Park-sajang’s_ attention away from torturing Jaewon (even if only for a second).

Ben and Kyle round the corner from the kitchen to throw identical looks of disgust at Jay. “EWWE!” they yell in unison and the whole crew busts into a din of laughter. Their outburst is dampened when _Sajang-nim_ appears at the coffee bar like a specter of death to glare at his unruly employees.

“Get back to work!” Jay yells, acting the role of the responsible manager even as he grins sheepishly behind _Park-sajang's_ back. The group quickly disperses to return to their tasks, still giggling behind their hands. 

By the end of the night, all humor is lost and everyone is walking on eggshells around _Sajang-nim_ to avoid getting caught in his crosshairs. Feeling guilty, Yeong takes it upon himself to hide in the kitchen and do the last round of dishes as the rest of the boys close the shop for the night. He knows his temper has been out of line before, but pestering Jaewon until the entire crew notices may qualify as a completely different ball game. Yeong thinks back on his unproductive day and grimaces. Embarrassed even in his dishwashing solitude, he sours into surliness which rots into a depression in a matter of seconds. Slowing down until he full-on spaces out, Yeong's hands go slack in the tub of soapy dishwater. He has to fix this.

The crew heads up to the locker room to change back into their street clothes. Theo returns first, followed closely by Jaewon.

“ _Jaewon-ah_ come here,” The eldest says as he wanders over to shut and secure the sliding glass windows. He sits and pats the window seat by his side.

Jaewon joins him. “What’s up?”

“What's going on with _Park-sajang_? What did you do?” Theo doesn't beat around the bush.

Jaewon rakes a frustrated hand through his hair. “And here I thought I was just imagining things…” He stares at the concrete floor between his feet and thinks back on the past few days. “The thing is, I’m pretty sure I didn’t do anything this time. Things have been really good lately,” he mumbles.

Jaewon won't admit it, but things have actually been getting weirder and weirder with _Sajang-nim_ since the company retreat at the apple orchard. 

Theo is empathetic to Jaewon's confusion and distress, but isn’t quite sure how to help. He quietly pulls his friend into a side hug. Jaewon's eyes mist over when Theo begins petting his hair and he gladly leans into the unsolicited comfort. He didn’t know this was something he needed today. 

As everyone tromps back downstairs, Yeong jumps out through the kitchen door to make an announcement.

“Let’s go grill some meat, boys! Company dinner, right now. All food and drinks are on me!” 

The baristas exchange furtive glances, unsure how to proceed. After a brief pause of awkward uncertainty, Ben takes the matter into his own hands because above all, he needs to eat. “BBQ TIME!” he hollers with his hands cupped around his mouth. 

Kyle is quick to join in and soon everyone, including a careful Theo and an obliging Jaewon, is howling and grooving to celebrate a more or less happy end to their strange day at the coffee shop.


	3. Soju Bombs & Rainstorms

As the baristas wait for a vacant table at the BBQ restaurant, Yeong mentally prepares to get just buzzed enough to have a real conversation with Jaewon tonight. Once everyone else is boozed up, he’ll send them all home and pull Jaewon aside for a word. The liquid courage will be the exact thing he needs to… do what exactly? Yeong has no idea what he even needs to say. All he knows is _something_ needs to be said. He hopes the alcohol will help him conjure up the right words when the time comes.

Everyone is in great spirits as the meat begins sizzling and the alcohol keeps flowing. Once their appetites slow down, the soju and beer bottles empty faster and faster. They sit around the low floor-table, too loud and increasingly rowdy as they play a few rounds of various drinking games. It’s not long before more than half of them are too stupid-drunk to continue playing anything complicated, so they snack on the remaining food and talk about this and that and whatever else comes to mind. The atmosphere is light, but Yeong gets surly again when he spots Theo clinging close to Jaewon for some unknown reason. 

Theo doesn’t know what he’s doing anymore. He doesn’t really drink much in general, so the two soju bombs are already hitting him hard. It only takes one more shot of soju and he’s thoroughly sloshed, but it doesn’t become evident to the whole party until he suddenly grabs and smothers Jaewon's face with… his own face. 

Yeong throws down his wooden chopsticks and freezes, not wanting to be caught in any emotion other than shock. Chae, Ben, and Kyle, the youngest three of the group, sit in a row on one side of the table like tipsy little ducklings, at least until they collectively turn into a pack of terrifying hyenas erupting into a unified roar of hell-raising laughter (apparently the dumbasses think this is hilarious). 

Shrieking for help through his nervous laughter, Jaewon slaps a wet lettuce leaf across Theo's face to distract him before one of the face smooshes can land squarely on Jaewon's lips. Luckily, Jay is not yet too far gone and acts fast enough to help control the situation. He cuffs Theo over the head with a rolled up newspaper and the table immediately hushes.

“Ohhhhhh,” the hyena trio sings in unison, sensing impending danger.

“EY!” The normally calm coffee roaster yells at the top of his lungs. 

When Theo turns, Jay swiftly shoves a handful of raw garlic into the drunk idiot’s mouth. Jaewon and Jay subdue him on either side, forcing him to to chew on the garlic to sober up. Wanting to help, Ben breaks a green chili pepper in half and leans across the table on wobbly knees to shove each end up Theo's nostrils. His eyes nearly pop out of their sockets as Theo shrieks at the garlic chili combo now burning through his face holes. Ben collapses over onto Kyles' and Chae's laps in a fit of ugly giggles. While the three continue dying with laughter, Yeong's annoyance goes largely unnoticed at the head of the table.

And this is when Yeong breaks. Screw the "plan". It’s time to get wasted. Egged on by the tipsy trio, he sets up three soju bombs in a row for each of them and then downs them all himself. Yeong begs the alcohol to cloud his mind, but it just won't. He can’t get drunk tonight for some reason. Feeling apologetic to the owner and the other patrons, Yeong makes the executive decision to call it a night. He stands and signals Jay and Jaewon to wrap things up.

Jay and Jaewon gather up their boozy friends and head outside as Yeong pays for dinner. When he rejoins the crew in the parking lot, the trio are crowded around Theo to help him stay upright. Jay takes the lead and drags the tangle of hoodlums along behind him as he sets off for the shared house, tossing a smile and a goodbye wave over his shoulder at _Park-sajang_. Before Jaewon joins the departing caravan to hell, he turns and finds Yeong leaning unsteadily against the wall of the restaurant. 

“Hey _Sajang-nim_ , there you are. Come on, I’ll take you home.” Jaewon offers as he pulls Yeong close to his side.

 _Sajang-nim’s_ legs get heavier and heavier as they walk. Before they even make it halfway, the sky starts to drizzle. When they turn into the community park, the drizzle becomes a downpour and they stop to take shelter under a covered _pyeongsang_. Jaewon releases his ward who immediately rolls onto his back over the smooth wooden platform. He sits down next to _Sajang-nim_ to watch the rain beat down until the path is submerged under one large puddle. The deluge is enough to blur the light from the lampposts in the distance and he idly hopes the boys are taking cover somewhere if they haven’t made it home yet. Predicting they’ll have to stay here for a while, Jaewon pulls his knees up to peel off his soggy shoes and socks.

“ _Won-ah_ ,” Yeong says with just a touch of a slur. 

The rain is hitting the roof so hard that Jaewon almost misses it. “ _Sajang-nim_?”

Yeong laughs. “You know we’re the same age right? Stop calling me that.”

“It’s weird to call you _Yeong-ah~_ at the shop though. And even if we are friends, you’re still the owner.”

“ _Park-sajang_ is fine at work, but otherwise it’s weird to be so formal with my best friend…”

Jaewon stills at this. What did he just say? He lies down next to Yeong and rolls over onto his side to face him.

“ _Yeong-ah_ ,” Jaewon coos, suddenly sentimental as he folds his arm under the side of his head, eyes wide and shining in anticipation. 

“What?” Yeong smiles as he stares up at the wooden rafters.

“Am I really your best friend?”

“If you didn’t hear it the first time, then forget it.”

Jaewon nudges in to close the distance between them. Yeong turns to gaze into Jaewon's eyes before flitting down to look at his lips. This tension between them has been growing since they got closer at the apple orchard. It's tangible. Suffocating. Yeong wants to break it, slash through it with something concrete and definitive! But he caves at the last second and looks away again.

“ _Won-ah_.” 

There he goes again with that new nickname. Yeong's voice is so low now it’s almost a whisper. He doesn’t sound so drunk anymore either. As Yeong looks him square in the face, a delicious shiver runs over Jaewon's skin. He’s not sure if it’s the way Yeong says it, but every time he does Jaewon just about faints. Is there anything that would justify saying his name like that? Jaewon thinks there might be one thing he'd like to hear Yeong say with that sexy voice of his...

“I know we haven’t known each other very long and we got off to a weird start with all the fake dating, but when I told you I wanted to build a place where people could come and relax with a cup of coffee, you’re the one who encouraged me to actually do it. I know you needed the job at first, but I can see that it’s more than just that now. You’re a hard worker and a good friend, _Won-ah_. You’re my best friend for life. Forever.”

Jaewon pouts with a quivering lip, clearly touched and Yeong looks back up at the rafters to hide his embarrassment. He’s not sure this is what he originally intended to say tonight, but he’s glad he did because it’s the truth. 

“Prove it.”

Yeong scoffs in surprise. “Excuse me?" A look of pure annoyance flashes across his handsome face as he turns to glare at Jaewon.

“That was a beautiful speech my friend, but talk is cheap. I said prove it to me, Park Yeong.” 

Jaewon's shit-eating grin is the only thing preventing Yeong from smacking him down right here and now. He knows Wonni is taking his turn to tease. He’s certainly earned the right to after dealing with Yeong's moody ass all day. 

“Name your goddamn price, you bastard.”

Jaewon cackles. He sits up to consider his supposed best friend for a moment as the latter cringes away.

“Let’s get you some piercings to match mine,” Jaewon finally says as his hand darts out to squish Yeong's earlobe between his thumb and index finger. Yeong swats his hand away and backs up to a seated position.

“You’re not actually serious.”

“Dead serious.”

“Nuh uh. No way,” Yeong shakes his head and covers his ears.

“Yes way,” Jaewon replies with an evil smile.

As if on cue, the rain slows down and eventually stops all together. Jaewon ignores the pleas as he pulls his socks and shoes back on. Then he stands and pulls a protesting Yeong up off the _pyeongsang_ too.

Yeong grumbles and pouts the entire way as he's dragged to the nearest tattoo and piercing parlor. They emerge from the shop not even fifteen minutes later, the deed done. Yeong trudges along, hand glued over his ear while Jaewon frolicks along at his side, all smiles and glee. 

Best friends forever successfully proven.


	4. Best Friends Forever

The hottest day of the year turns out to be the driest day of the season. On this day, Jaewon arrives right on time for his shift, five minutes to eight. So far he's been pretty good at concealing the small sadness he's felt ever since the night of the rainstorm with _Park-sajang_. As the days pass though, he often finds himself stuck in the same loop of negative thoughts. Jaewon goes through the motions when he arrives at the shop, skipping every other step on his way up to the locker room. _Was the piercing a bit much?_ In hindsight it was definitely a petty act of revenge. Jaewon sighs as he changes into his white button-down, black pants, vest, and apron. _Best friends with Park Yeong? Totally._

As he heads down to the main floor, Jaewon checks the bathrooms for items that need to be restocked and moves the tub of dirty dishes out of the hall and into the kitchen. He stands between Kyle at the sink and Chae at the waffle station to peek through the service window and catches a glimpse of _Park-sajang_ pulling shots at the espresso machine. Sure enough, the piercing looks great. It adds character. Jaewon snorts at the mental image of Park Yeong with small silver hoops dangling from his ears, which is what he'd originally hoped for so their piercings would match, but he realizes the tiny stud in one ear suits Yeongi better. Jaewon smiles.

“What’s up with you?” Kyle asks as he dutifully continues washing the already endless pile of dirty dishes.

“Mind your own business,” Jaewon replies sweetly.

When Kyle throws a look of mock concern for Jaewon’s sanity, Jaewon pinches the kid’s cheek and doesn’t let go until the appropriate response is given (a dramatized cry of pain with much flailing of limbs). Chae’s admonishment for splashing soap suds into his waffle batter goes ignored as Jaewon releases Kyle and cackles with satisfaction.

Jaewon returns to his train of thought as he turns to lean back against the counter. Kyle watches curiously out of the corner of his eye as he stacks clean cups and dishes away. Jaewon is so lost in thought next to him that he doesn't realize the puddle of water he's currently leaning into. Kyle considers thanking Jaewon for lending the hem of his shirt and the seat of his pants to clean up the mess and snickers evilly.

"What's so funny?" Jaewon reverts his attention to glare at the gremlin.

Kyle gestures wordlessly down at the counter with his chin.

"Damn it, Kyle!"

* * *

For Jaewon and the crew, it’s just another normal day at the coffee shop, but for Yeong, his beloved coffee shop has been feeling like any old job, each day just another one of the many to get through as the heat of summer reaches its peak. Business is going well despite the near-flood-inducing monsoon season, but he can’t shake the feeling that something is off. Perhaps it’s the lack of sleep. Yeong has been showing up at the coffee shop earlier and earlier since the night he was coerced into getting pierced. The days and weeks following their freshly sworn-in friendship went from great, to fine, to… what now? He’s taken to operating the espresso machine himself these days in an effort to stay busy at work. Today is no exception.

With a breakfast waffle (smelling faintly of dish soap) from Chae in hand, Jaewon walks back out to the coffee bar to say good morning. He munches absentmindedly, preoccupied with the task of reminding himself of all the reasons why being friends with Park Yeong is actually for the better. First there was the ridiculous dating ruse (he finishes his waffle and grabs the drinks on the counter, ready to be delivered to table 7). Then all the free labor he offered during the reconstruction (he exchanges polite conversation with the doting, doe-eyed customers). Taking the blame for the bean order mix up and almost getting fired for it (he moves on to clear table 8). Then the ~~wonderful~~ stupid team-building trip to the apple orchard (he checks the trash bins on his way back to the kitchen) and suddenly he’s falling deeper with every warm interaction one moment, only to be iced out the next. Plus all the agonizing confusion that follows a cycle of _Park-sajang’s_ hot-cold moods (he dumps the dishes into the sink). And the constant micromanaging! Jaewon crosses his arms in a huff and nods. The reasons to leave it at friendship are as endless as Kyle’s dirty pile of dishes.

Yeong’s mood had considerably brightened when he looked up to see Jaewon ducking through the front door this morning, but he deflates now upon seeing Jaewon move around the shop like a robot on autopilot. Jaewon's subdued good morning was half-hearted at best and he barely even acknowledged Yeong's existence behind the espresso machine when he placed the completed order on the counter. The glare Yeong now shoots at the chatty cathies at table 7 only softens as soon as Jaewon's profile speeds past the coffee bar again, a sight Yeong simply cannot ignore every time he walks past. He can’t even remember the last time Jaewon directly addressed him by any of his titles, let alone by his name. He thought he’d been clear when he asked Jaewon to start calling him by the more familiar and informal _Park-sajang_ like the others do, but it’s almost like Wonni goes out of his way to avoid addressing him directly at all lately. He’d always thought the _Sajang-nim_ title was awkwardly over-formal, but hell, he’d do anything just to hear Jaewon's raspy voice calling him _Sajang-nim_ again if it means things could go back to the way they were.

Yeong distracts himself at the till as the morning rush dies down, finally understanding that the friendly distance with Jaewon might be the true reason he’s been feeling so remiss lately. But what else did he expect? Yeong himself had drawn the friendship line and Jaewon accepted it (at the price of a goddamned piercing). Yeong wryly reminds himself that it shouldn't come as a surprise that the delicious tension between them has already gone missing. He should've known that kind of tension was not a best friends mood. _Fuck,_ Yeong sighs. _Best friends with Jaewon? Who am I kidding?_

Feeling the melancholy settle back into his bones, Yeong clocks out early, leaving Theo to close with the evening shift, but he doesn't feel like going home yet. He drove to work this morning for coffee bean deliveries and the summer sun brought a welcome break from the monsoon rain all day today, so he takes his mini cooper out for a little drive. The sight of the sunset over the scenic highway along the river is relaxing and he cranks up the music so he doesn’t have to think. The next time he takes stock of his surroundings though, it's well after dark and he’s turning into a familiar neighborhood. When he pulls up at the crew’s shared house, all he can do is laugh at his subconscious. Of course he'd end up here without intending it. Yeong parks and leans out of his car to gaze up at Jaewon's window. The bedroom light is on, but the sheer curtains are drawn. Yeong is content to leave it at this. He has to be.

* * *

Jaewon's hands hover over the phone resting on the bed before him. It wouldn’t be weird to call right? He just wants to make sure Yeongi is okay. He didn’t look well when he left the shop earlier. Jaewon grimaces with resolve, picks up his phone, and makes the call before he can chicken out.

Yeong is startled when his phone buzzes with an incoming call. He doesn’t think to check the caller ID before he answers.

“Hello?”

“ _Sajang_ -uh, _Park-sajang_? I mean, _Yeong-ah_..."

Yeong smiles up at the window. It’s Jaewon.

“What's up?”

“Oh nothing. You just left earlier than usual today and I wanted to make sure… you’re not sick are you?”

Yeong rests the elbow of his phone arm on the sill of his car window, dreamy-eyed and relieved to hear all his titles again. He leans into the phone and has a thought.

“Wanna go for a drive?”

* * *

They end up driving to the nearest beach at Jaewon's request, having always wanted to walk along a sandy beach by night. The ocean to their left is completely dark beyond what little they can see of the shore. To their right, the narrow beach is dimly lit by the city lights spreading further inland. They walk in silence for a long time, separately lost in their own feelings. Then Jaewon gets the courage to speak.

“This must be what best friends are good for. We can hang out any time we like. Go anywhere, do anything. We don’t even have to talk. It’s nice.”

Yeong merely nods as he watches the sand shifting under his feet. It’s not really something that needs to be said out loud, but it’s true.

“ _Yeong-ah_. What do you like most about being best friends? When do you like me the most?”

Yeong stops in his tracks, a million possible answers coming to mind but he can't tell which one Wonni wants to hear. Jaewon continues walking ahead as he talks to himself. When he still doesn’t realize Yeong isn’t next to him, he jogs to catch up and uses the momentum to grab Jaewon's hand.

Jaewon's shoulder rises up shyly when Yeong intertwines their fingers. This is new.

“Best friends can do this much,” Yeong explains unnecessarily.

When Jaewon gets tired, they drop their hands to sit side by side in the sand, watching the waves lap up near their feet. After much hesitation, he finally decides _to hell with it_. Jaewon flops over and rests his head in Yeongi's lap.

“Best friends can do this much too,” he says, parroting Yeong's previous explanation.

Yeong smiles and pets Jaewon's hair, lulling him to sleep on his lap. It’s not until Jaewon drifts away that Yeong retracts his hand, the internal panic returning as he’s left alone with his feelings again. It’s never this hard when Jaewon is right there with him, being himself with all his reassuring smiles and giggles and distracting him from... whatever this really is.

When Jaewon refuses to wake up, Yeong gently untangles himself and takes off his oversized cardigan to cover Wonni up. He hesitates, not wanting to leave Jaewon alone on the dark beach for even a second, but sprints to his car anyway because it’s getting chilly. He grabs the spare towel and blanket in the trunk and runs straight back to where Jaewon is still curled up on the sand. He spreads the towel out and rolls Jaewon onto it. Once he’s covered Jaewon with the blanket, Yeong pulls his cardigan back on, wrapping it tighter to his body against the ocean breeze. He drops down to sit next to Jaewon as the latter shifts onto his side and continues sleeping. Feeling suddenly forlorn and way too emotional, Yeong pulls a hand through his hair and then over his eyes. _What are we doing?_

With a defeated sigh Yeong lies back next to Jaewon to think. Or maybe he’ll stop thinking for now. He rolls over onto his side to stare at the back of Jaewon's unbothered head. How can he sleep so peacefully right now? It’s infuriating. Even more infuriating is Jaewon's proximity. They’re practically spooning. He nudges closer, just enough to feel Jaewon's body heat.

Jaewon shifts in his sleep, stretching back until he feels Yeong's breath on his neck. He unknowingly scratches at the tickle before settling back into slumber.

Yeong tentatively places one hand over Jaewon's waist and with the other, reaches up to curl his fingers over Jaewon's outstretched hand. “This is as far as I go, _Won-ah_ ” he whispers. Yeong closes his eyes against the unwanted tears and tilts forward. His lips only just brush against the warm skin at Jaewon's neck, soft and light.

Jaewon opens his eyes and sits up in alarm, wide awake and very disoriented.

“We should probably get going right?” he says too loudly, rubbing his face and fumbling to gather up their things.

Yeong was hoping they’d stay for the sunrise but concedes with a nod, acknowledging that their little adventure must have always been destined to come to an unsatisfying end.


	5. Sour Grapes

The next day at the coffee shop, _Park-sajang_ is absolutely incorrigible. He makes his rounds, only speaking when there’s something to complain about or someone to scold. Jaewon hides around the corner, watching as _Park-sajang_ berates Kyle under his breath for not wringing the mop out enough before wiping up a spill. Jaewon rushes over to help Kyle and wordlessly shoos _Park-sajang_ away, unable to come up with anything that might calm the boss down.

The rest of the day continues on in a similar fashion. Jaewon keeps catching the rest of his crew members in varying states of annoyance as a direct result of _Park-sajang’s_ micromanaging. Ben eventually gets so fed up with the nagging that he throws one last dirty look before fearlessly swatting _Sajang-nim_ away like a bothersome fly. When Jaewon is within earshot, Ben goes out of his way to loudly declare that he’s leaving early tonight so _someone_ better pick up the rest of his shift.

Poor Chae feels the tension throughout his whole shift as well, but doesn’t know what else he can do but stay out of it and continue making waffles in the kitchen. By the time he clocks out after the lunch rush dies down, his normally sunny disposition is over-shadowed by the dark rain cloud that's descended upon the coffee shop.

Even Jay looks angry by the end of the night. Always the one to take _Park-sajang’s_ side without question, he hasn’t made a peep all day. All he does is clench his jaw and glare out from under mussed up bangs at anyone who passes because he has no idea who or what is to blame for Yeong's sour grapes. He has no choice but to believe Yeong is just having a bad day.

Once the shop is empty and _Park-sajang_ is busy counting the till, a hand appears out of nowhere to grab Jaewon by the ear.

“Ouch, hey!” Jaewon yelps as he’s dragged into the kitchen. “What was that for?” He pouts when the culprit turns out to be Theo.

“What the hell, Jaewon? I thought you said things were good?”

“Yeah, so?”

“ _Park-sajang_ is going after _everyone_ today! He even tossed out the batch of beans I roasted this morning. He said they were too _bitter_. It's COFFEE! Of course it's fucking bitter! I'm telling you, he’s losing it.”

“Maybe you over-roasted them…” Jaewon suggests sullenly.

“It’s _not_ the _beans_ bro,” Theo growls. “What did you do?”

“Nothing…” Jaewon rubs his ear guiltily. “We went to the beach last night.”

Theo rolls his eyes. It’d be way too easy to guess what probably happened during their little beach escapade, but he’d really rather not get down and dirty into the details right now.

“Look,” Theo says as he points out the service window.

Weekend nights usually require all (or almost all) hands on deck to close on time, but with Ben and Chae both gone and Yeong refusing to be of more help, Kyle is now stuck mopping the entire shop on his own as Jay frantically covers the rest of the closing chores out on the main floor. Kyle crouches over the bucket, violently wringing out the mop and making an even bigger mess as he blindly throws death glares in every direction.

Jaewon hangs his head. He doesn’t know why Yeong has been so bent out of shape today. Normally so calm and collected, he knows Theo wouldn't be this outwardly angry if he wasn't sure he was right. This must be Jaewon's fault, somehow.

“Clean up your mess,” Theo chastises.

“I don’t know how,” Jaewon finally admits.

Jaewon looks so small and defeated in this moment that Theo can’t keep up the tough front any longer. At this rate, his soft heart will stop beating of natural causes before the two idiots ever officially get together.

“Come here, dummy,” Theo says as he pulls Jaewon in for an aggressively caring hug.

“Jaewon!” _Park-sajang_ suddenly yells.

Jaewon and Theo break apart to see their boss fuming at the door to the kitchen. At first Theo thinks he’s just being jealous over the hugging, but then _Park-sajang_ accusingly holds out a receipt.

“You were in charge of the till today, were you not?” he asks Jaewon, voice deceptively calm.

“Yes…” Jaewon says, not sure where this is going.

“We’re 300 dollars short.”

“Are you sure?” Jaewon frowns and crosses the kitchen to take the daily totals receipt in his own hands. He starts doing the mental math to double check.

“Is this all a joke to you?” _Park-sajang_ breathes as he watches Jaewon puzzle over the missing money.

Jaewon drops his arms to his sides, stopping his mental calculations. Tonguing his cheek, he throws a fiery glare at _Park-sajang_ without another word, daring the boss to continue. Jaewon is at the end of his rope with this rotten behavior today. He's about to snap. When _Park-sajang_ resolves to quietly seethe instead of saying anything further, Jaewon finally quips back.

"You really think I would put up with your shitty attitude all day if I thought this was all a joke?"

The coffee shop goes dangerously silent as _Park-sajang's_ fury becomes palpable. He takes a menacing step towards Jaewon. "What did you just say?" he half-whispers, half-growls.

Jaewon holds his ground, but regrets the outburst. Before he can come up with any appeasing words, Theo intervenes.

"Ey, no big deal! You can take it out of the tip jar!" Theo looks around to get confirmation from Jay and Kyle. 

“Nonsense. It's coming out of _your_ paycheck.” _Park-sajang_ spits at Jaewon before anyone else can come to his aid.

Jaewon shrugs, about to give verbal assent so they can get this over with, but Theo defends Jaewon again.

"There's no proof it was really Jaewon's fault and it'll be next to impossible to track down a cash mistake like this, it could have been multiple mistakes. We're a team, right? We'll all take the hit equally. Take it out of the tip jar." Theo warns, his voice dangerously low as he places his hand on _Park-sajang's_ shoulder to stop him from getting up in Jaewon's face.

 _Park-sajang_ shrugs Theo's hand off without breaking eye contact with Jaewon. "So you won't step up even though the till was solely your responsibility today?" he scoffs. "This is no place for irresponsible employees. You’re fired. Get the hell out.”

“What?” The color leaves Jaewon's face as he stares back at _Park-sajang_ , his expression instantly melting into hurt.

"You heard the man,” Jay says, finally grasping at a reason to take his side. He knows Yeong doesn't mean what he's saying right now, but Jaewon needs to get out of sight immediately before their tempers rise any further. They need to take some time to cool off separately before discussing how to resolve this without firing Jaewon, but before Jay can vocalize his reasoning, Theo interrupts heatedly.

“Shut up, Jay. You know this is unfair. Stop taking your anger out on everyone, Park Yeong!” Theo defends, dropping all formalities with the boss. This is now an argument between friends. “You don’t mean that! We _need_ Jaewon.”

When Yeong doesn't back down, Theo pushes Jaewon aside to challenge Yeong himself. Jay quickly steps in front of Yeong and gets in Theo's face instead.

"Back the fuck up, Theo. I won't say it again." Jay's stony expression is set as he defends his oldest friend.

"Or else, what?" Theo doesn't back down.

Around the corner, Kyle is officially freaking out. He pulls out his phone to frantically text Ben and Chae.

_**Kyle** : HELP! _   
_**Kyle** : THE GUYS ARE FIGHTING AT THE SHOP RN_   
_**Kyle** : IDK WHAT TO DO!!!!_

_**Ben** : Wut, y? _

_**Chae** : What happened?_

_**Kyle** : The till is short $300!!!_

Kyle peeks around the corner just in time to witness Jay grab hold of Theo's collar. "STOP FIGHTING!" Kyle shouts with a strangled sob as he runs over to stop his friends from hurting each other.

Having forgotten Kyle was still around and suddenly feeling guilty for their collectively primitive behavior, everyone disperses a few steps to take a breath and decide what to do next. The baristas turn to their boss expectantly.

 _Park-sajang_ continues glaring at Jaewon, face still red with anger as he waits to see what Jaewon has to say. "Well?"

“Do you really want me out?” Jaewon asks quietly, needing to hear Yeong say it again.

By now Yeong knows this is ridiculous, but his pride is making it difficult to redact his decision. He neither responds nor backs down.

" _Won-ah_ , come on. Just apologize so we can close and go home." Jay tries to make peace again.

"Jaewon shouldn't apologize for something we can't prove is his fault," Theo repeats through clenched teeth.

"But it was his responsibility!" Jay stubbornly parrots _Park-sajang's_ reasoning and everyone gets riled up again.

"It was really busy today though! We all helped work the till. Any one of us could have made mistakes!" Kyle raises his voice to chime in.

Jaewon is two seconds away from making a half-hearted apology just to end this stupid argument, but Yeong speaks up.

“Looks like the majority is on your side, Jaewon. Lucky you. What’s the use of being _sajang_ if I can't even justly fire employees who refuse to take their work seriously?” Yeong scoffs with a newfound level of venom. “You won’t leave? Fine. Then I will. Good _fucking_ riddance.”

Yeong shoves past Jay and nearly knocks Kyle off his feet on his way to the door. Just then, Ben and Chae run up the front steps of the shop in time to see Yeong storming out without looking back.

It takes all of Jaewon's strength to not break down in front of everyone. How the hell did this get so messed up? “Fuck,” he mutters helplessly as he reaches up to tear at his hair.

Theo and Kyle reach out to console him but Jaewon steps out of their reach, biting into his fist to fight back the hurt and confusion. He leaves the shop as the tears start rolling down his cheeks, ignoring everyone’s protests for him to stay. Jaewon throws his apron down at the door and stalks off into the night.

* * *

_Park-sajang_ doesn’t show up at the coffee shop for the next three days. Jaewon is beside himself with worry now because all his calls and texts are going ignored and Yeong won’t answer the door whenever he tries to visit the rooftop apartment.

The usually playful Chae-Ben-Kyle trio start to worry and frequently have their own hushed huddles around the shop. Meanwhile, Jay and Theo try to go about their work without speaking to each other.

“Get back to work, you three. Gossiping isn’t going to help. We’re not taking any breaks until we get through this rush, got it?” Theo calls over his shoulder as he shoves through their huddle on his way to table 2 with a heavy tray of beverages and desserts.

“ _Park-sajang_ is fine. He just needs a break,” Jay tries to reassure empty air as he pulls shots as fast as he can, but even he doesn’t seem convinced by his own words. It’s unusual that Yeongie hasn’t at least sent him a simple text to explain he needs some time off.

The crew unanimously decides to send Jaewon home early because he keeps making mistakes as a result of checking his phone every five seconds. After his fifth order mix up in a row, Ben and Kyle corner Jaewon in the kitchen to strip him of his apron and help him clock out for the day. Theo worries that Jaewon will wander around aimlessly all night again, but he knows everyone is too stressed about all the extra work his mistakes are causing during peak hours and holds back his protests. 

Later, when the after-dinner rush slows down earlier than usual, Jay decides to clock out early too. Theo briefly sets aside his grudge to nod and silently reassure him that they can manage, knowing Jay is the best person to go check on Yeong right now.

Jay rushes off to Young's place and finds Jaewon sitting in front of the door looking pale, sleep-deprived and otherwise completely wrecked.

“Hey, go home. I got this,” Jay says as he crouches down in front of Jaewon and clumsily wipes at the streaks of dried tears on his face.

Jaewon can only nod, too out-of-sorts to put up a fight. Jay helps him stand and watches until Jaewon leaves the rooftop. Then he pulls out his phone to send Yeong a string of texts.

_**Jay**_ : _h_ _ey, I'm here  
 **Jay** : it's just me. I sent jaewon home_

_  
**Jay** : come on, you disappeared for three whole days  
 **Jay:** don't you think that's dramatic enough?  
_

_**Jay** : I just wanna make sure ur alive  
_

_**Jay** : don't make me call the locksmith_

_**Jay** : Yeong-ah... pls open the door..._


	6. Eye Water & Face Tissues

Jay sits on Yeong’s couch, watching Yeong starfish out in the middle of the living room floor. His apartment is in complete disarray with books and crumpled papers littered over all surfaces in every direction. The sink is full of dirty dishes, and there’s laundry of unknown cleanliness strewn everywhere. Needless to say, Yeong finally unlocked his door shortly after reading Jay’s texts and this is the state Jay found him in.

“So… what exactly is the problem here?” Jay tries again.

“Me,” Yeong croaks.

“And again I ask, why are you the problem?”

“Because it’s all my fault.”

“Why?”

“Because I messed up.”

Jay sighs. Their conversation has been going around in circles like this for almost an hour. He slides off the couch to sit criss-crossed on the floor next to Yeong’s shoulder and gently covers his friend’s eyes with a gentle hand.

This small touch of comfort is all it takes to break Yeong apart. He bites his lip, stubbornly trying to hold back the rush of tears, but then his chin quivers, and soon his lips are trembling uncontrollably as well. It’s too late now. The dam breaks.

Jay feels the tears rolling down under his palm and hangs his head in sympathy, but at least this can be viewed as progress.

“ _Yeong-ah_? Tell me what’s wrong. Let me help you.”

“You can’t help. No one can…” Yeong whispers through choked sobs.

“Right. I can’t promise to solve whatever this problem is, but I can listen. I promise you’ll feel better if you can at least get it off your chest.”

Yeong cries in silence for a few more minutes before he finally says in a shaky voice, “I love him.”

“Who?” Jay asks, genuinely surprised and equally as curious.

When Yeongie doesn’t answer right away, it dawns on Jay through a natural recalling of events since they first opened the coffee shop.

“Jaewon?” Jay asks, though he already knows he must be right when Yeong sniffles. “We all love him though, don’t we? Everyone loves that guy. How can you not? He’s the glue. Always making everyone laugh, always so energetic and approachable. He can make anyone his friend.”

Yeong groans miserably at the mention of _friend_. Not that stupid word again. He can’t even bring himself to tell Jay that he’s still not getting it.

Alarmed by the volume of tears increasing under his hand, Jay looks around and spots a box of tissues partially wedged under the couch. He reaches over to grab it and pulls a bunch out to cover Yeongie's eyes. Then he pulls out another bunch to wipe his own tear-drenched palm. His eyes shine with sympathetic tears as he watches Yeong cry for a moment longer. Then it clicks.

“Oh,” Jay says very _very_ quietly. He hopes Yeong is too distracted by all the eye water and face tissues to hear it. Jay doesn’t want his ignorance and delayed enlightenment to be a new source of agony (though he knows it’s probably already too late).

“Okay, so you love him. Yeongie loves Wonnie,” Jay says with finality. If nothing else, he can at least help organize all the facts of the matter. “Does Jaewon know how you feel?”

Yeong shakes his head before swiping away and crumpling up the damp tissues. He turns his puffy-eyed gaze toward his oldest friend. Why can’t it be as easy as Jay says? Why can’t those words just be his reality?

“Do you _want_ him to know how you feel?” Jay amends.

Yeong doesn’t know how to answer. He shrugs.

“Well, if Jaewon didn’t know before, he might already know by now. You know he was at your door when I got here, right? He looked all sorts of shitty. I’m willing to bet he’s hurting just as much as you are.”

A fresh wave of tears spills down Yeong’s face as he wails in despair at the thought of hurting Jaewon.

 _Shit, that was NOT the right thing to say._ Jay cringes apologetically. He’s never been very good at consolation and comfort. Maybe he should call Theo… but he’s probably still busy with closing and taking care of the others right now. Jesus, how did everything get so fucked up right under his nose?

Jay waits patiently as Yeong takes his time to finish crying and composes himself. Yeong sits up to lean back against the foot of the couch.

“Don’t worry,” Yeong sniffs. “I just need some time. I’ll get over this.”

After a long moment of comfortable silence, Jay decides to distract Yeong with a little reminiscing.

“Do you remember when you and Jaewon first came over to propose the coffee shop renovation? The building was still the old rundown cafe my dad used to run back in the 80s. What a dump,” Jay chuckles.

“Yeah, Jaewon saw a cockroach in the kitchen and screamed like a baby,” Yeong adds thickly.

Jay remembers it fondly. “Wonnie was the one who kept telling us to renovate it, remember? He kept saying he could see it all in his mind. Where the coffee bar would be, the kitchen, the wall of sliding glass windows, even the flower mural…”

Yeong nods, wanting to hear more.

“I don’t know about you, but he really hyped me up that day. I called Theo immediately after you left to see if he’d consider taking charge of the roasting. Then I called around until I got Kyle’s number and asked to see if his dad’s company would take on the reconstruction and interior design. Who knew the kid would come begging for a job as a result.”

Yeong laughs, remembering how naive Kyle seemed back then, desperate to get away from his family’s expectations of inheriting the family business.

“Jaewon drove me around on his moped to scope out the competition and that’s when we found Chae’s waffle cart,” Yeong remembers out loud.

“And Kyle brought Ben along with him one day, saying he was the best of the best at restaurant interior decorating, and so he was.”

Yeong smiles fondly. Every single one of them had a direct hand in getting the new coffee shop up and running. He can’t believe he’s already tried to fire Jaewon twice since they started this whole journey. Yeong may have had the idea and the capital, but Jaewon had the vision and the drive to put it all in motion.

“I see where you’re going with this.”

“Do you?” Jay asks with a smirk.

“No matter what happens, Wonnie’s always going to be one of us,” Yeong concludes.

“So don’t be so afraid,” Jay adds. “If things go well between you two then sure, we’ll probably have to be a little more careful at the shop and around the customers. Especially if things get, you know, serious… but we’re all professionals. It’s really nothing to be this afraid of…” Jay does his best to play it down, but he knows they’re not living in a country as progressive as others. Not yet at least, according to Theo anyway. “But the seven of us? Nah, you know that’s never going to change.”

Jay throws an arm around Yeong’s shoulders and he smiles before pulling Jay in for a big hug.

“Thanks, Jay.”

* * *

After spending all night riding around on Jaewon's moped looking for the idiot, Theo sits back on his bed, waiting patiently for Jaewon to come back from the bathroom. Theo came home from a busy night at the coffee shop without Jay, Jaewon, or Yeong only to find that his roommate never came home after clocking out early. He eventually found Jaewon at the nearest foot bridge in their neighborhood, staring out over the inky river. Theo brought the nearly catatonic Jaewon home and instructed him to take a shower, if anything just to relax.

Jaewon shuffles into the room. A towel is draped over his head to hide any evidence that he’d cried a little in the shower.

“Come here,” Theo says as he pats the bed next to him.

Jaewon sheds the damp towel and snuggles in as Theo wraps a comforting arm around him.

“Now talk,” Theo demands.

Jaewon sighs. “There’s nothing more to say. Yeong wants me out. He doesn’t want to see me. He won’t take my calls or respond to my texts. It’s over.”

“It’s not over, _Jaewon-ah_. It’s really not. Just tell me what’s going on, please?”

Once the first sentence leaves Jaewon’s lips, it’s like he can’t stop. He tells Theo everything from the fake dating to the neck kiss on the beach and everything in between. Theo says nothing and simply listens, paying close attention to Jaewon’s thoughts and feelings, letting him unload everything he’s been bottling up since, well the beginning. When he finally runs out of things to say, Jaewon hides under the pillow, exhausted but glad for the relief.

“It’s not that big of a deal, you know.”

“Yes, we know America is so progressive and awesome--”

Theo interrupts. “I never said America is awesome. America is _trying_ to be progessive, but that’s not the point. It’s not a big deal because Yeong feels the same way about you. Stop worrying that he doesn’t.”

Jaewon emerges from under his pillow to stare at Theo for a second. “Sure, whatever but… Yeong is obviously worried about what people here will think…”

“But do _you_ care what anyone else thinks, here or back home?”

“Not really…”

Theo nods. “Then Yeongie will learn to not give a fuck either. Especially if he wants to keep the crew together, which I know he does. If he wants you out, I’m leaving with you and I know for a fact Ben would leave too. _None_ of the others would be happy sticking around if you or any one of us was kicked out like that.”

Jaewon chews on his lip, still not quite convinced.

“Stop stressing and give him some time. He’ll figure it out,” Theo reassures. “Now get some sleep. You’re not allowed to call in sick tomorrow.”

Jaewon pouts but relents with a cackle when Theo imitates Jay’s angry manager face. They fall asleep, hoping the new morning will bring a fresh start for everyone.


	7. Never Letting Go

When Yeong returns to work the next afternoon, everyone is too distracted by their collective relief to remember the huge fight that caused _Park-sajang's_ absence in the first place, at least initially. By some stroke of luck, they're saved from the looming discomfort by an unexpected rush of customers that doesn't let up until closing. Later, once all the evening chores are mostly finished, Theo and Jay take the hint and usher the others out to give Yeong and Jaewon some space to reconcile.

Jaewon ambles up to the second floor and finds Yeong sitting at one of the balcony tables, bare feet propped up on a chair as he drains the last dregs of an iced tea. 

"Hi," Jaewon says as he takes a seat at an adjacent table.

Yeong looks at Jaewon with an unreadable expression. "Hey," he replies, setting down the empty glass to rub his palms together.

Jaewon knew it was going to be awkward, but this is downright torture.

"How are you?" Yeong asks randomly.

Jaewon cracks. This is stupid. "You're joking, right?" he deadpans.

Yeong can't help but laugh. He tucks his chin with a shy _hehehehehe_ that Jaewon absolutely loves.

"I missed you," Jaewon smiles.

"Me too," Yeong returns, head still ducked over his own smile. He blinks through a brief stall in conversation to gather his thoughts and courage. Then he looks straight into Jaewon's eyes and says, " _Won-ah_ , I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it."

"I know."

Jaewon did not, in fact, know for sure that Yeong didn't really want to fire him this time. Not until Theo told him so at least, but he thinks splitting hairs might ruin the mood, so he holds his tongue.

Now that the apology/forgiveness thing is out of the way, Jaewon is unwilling to bear this uncomfortable atmosphere any longer. "Well, I should go make sure the devil's spawn didn't forget to do anything..." he says and jumps out of his chair. Before he can make a speedy escape, Yeong stops him.

" _Won-ah_ wait," Yeong says, standing to catch Jaewon by the elbow.

"What's up?"

"I'm sorry for--"

"You already apologized, it's fine--"

"No, I'm sorry for-for everything else."

"What do you mean?" Jaewon frowns.

Yeong runs a hand up through his bangs, frustrated that he can never seem to find his words quickly enough.

Curious to see where this will go, Jaewon waits.

" _Won-ah_ look, I know I've been... a mess."

 _You think?_ But Jaewon bites back his bitterness. Now is not the time to be picking another fight.

Yeong closes his eyes against his ever-present internal struggle. "I just-I can't-"

" _Yeong-ah_ , stop. I hate this." Jaewon interrupts with a raised hand.

"W-what?" Yeong splutters.

"I hate seeing you struggle against whatever this is. This _wall_ that prevents you from being free with your words. And your _emotions_." The words dribble out of Jaewon's mouth before he can think.

Yeong stares dumbstruck. The man's not wrong.

"We're friends, right? Best friends?" Jaewon continues as he gestures at their earrings. "That means you can tell me anything and rest assured that I won't ever judge you. I'm on your side no matter what. You don't have to be so careful and... calculating around me, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Yeong takes a deep breath, but his mind is still blank. Where had he been trying to go with all of this?

Meanwhile, Jaewon is peering eagerly into Yeong's eyes.

" _Won-ah_ , I have to tell you something."

"Shoot."

"I've been a mess lately because--well, you see. The thing is..."

Jaewon squirms under Yeong's agonized stare and loses his patience. " _Yeong-ah_ , come on, what is it?" he whines.

Yeong's lips clamp shut as his fingers wrench up into his hair. Why must he only speak in fragments? He turns away from Jaewon's expectant gaze to rest his forehead and palms against the cool concrete wall, but Jaewon doesn't allow him any more time to think. He grabs Yeong's shoulders and spins him back around.

" _Won-ah_ ," Yeong pleads.

Jaewon steps up into Yeong's space, his eyes suddenly intense. "If you say my name one more time for no fucking reason, I swear to god..."

The words themselves are harsh, but Jaewon's whisper is gentle and almost pained. Yeong doesn't know where the following flash of courage comes from, but it hits him like a bolt of lightening. His hands reach out to fist into the front of Jaewon's shirt, pulling him in even closer, their lips almost touching.

Jaewon panicks internally, but refuses to be the one to cave in first. He needs to hear Yeong say the words, whatever they end up being. If this is what it takes to get the man to talk, so be it. Jaewon tilts his head and leans in closer in a deliberate challenge... but the same hands that pulled him in are now pushing back against Jaewon's chest.

Yeong turns and steps away, running his hands over his face.

Jaewon seethes quietly at Yeong's back. Does _Park-sajang_ really think he can stir him up like this and get away with it, _again_? Then Jaewon gets an idea.

"What's wrong, Park Yeong?" Jaewon asks suggestively as he takes a step closer.

Goosebumps erupt down Yeong's back as Jaewon's breath ghosts over the nape of his neck. He doesn't move another inch, afraid but curious what will happen next.

"Afraid?" Jaewon asks, as if reading his mind. Yeong shivers.

Jaewon leans in and brushes his lips against the skin of Yeong's neck. Is this what's been making Yeong so angry? The neck kiss at the beach? How unfair. Jaewon was asleep when that happened...

Yeong focuses on keeping his knees from buckling, but it's kind of hard when he already has half a mind to let his body collapse to the floor just to put some distance between his neck and Jaewon's lips. He's not sure how long he stands still trying to collect himself. When he retrieves the courage to face Jaewon again, he turns to find the balcony empty. This isn't how it's supposed to end. The fear bubbles up in his chest and Yeong frantically starts for the stairs to chase after Jaewon.

"Can I say something before you go?" Jaewon's voice calls from across the room.

Yeong looks around until he spots Jaewon sitting on one of the sofas across the way, leaning over his knees and worrying at his chin with restless hands. Yeong stops short, bites his lips together, and nods. Might as well shut up and let the man talk since Yeong's brain seems to be stuck on endless buffering tonight.

"If you're still upset about the piercing, then shit... I'm sorry, okay? I never meant to ask you for anything more than you were willing to give." Jaewon remembers the friendzoning and the sadness that prompted the piercing revenge. That was probably out of line. "But you can't be mad at me for something you did while I was sleeping."

Confusion and surprise muddle together on Yeong's face. This conversation is jumping off in a strange direction and it's all his fault. If he'd just been able to say the words... _I've been a raging idiot this whole time bcause I had no idea that I was falling in love with you._

Jaewon sighs. Yeong still isn't responding and the expression on his face is stormy and closed off, as usual. Time to bail. Jaewon stands and crosses the room to retrieve Yeong's empty glass from the balcony. When he makes his way to the stairs, Yeong steps aside to let him pass.

"I'm pretty sure I'm going to find something that needs to be cleaned if I go downstairs, so I'm going to go do that now, I guess. Take your time."

Jaewon leaves Yeong at the top of the stairs, alone with his thoughts.

Yeong thinks back on his love life. Why is professing his love for this particular idiot so hard? On second thought... despite the handful of relationships he's had, none of them were ever this emotionally serious. Yeong almost laughs like a maniac at the realization that he's never actually tried to profess his love to anyone before now. No fucking wonder. Yeong is the real idiot here and seemingly has been since the very beginning.

* * *

Yeong pads downstairs some time later, still barefoot and excited after experiencing an aha moment up on the balcony. Jaewon isn't cleaning like he said he would be. Yeong finds him in front of the flower mural instead, considering the artwork under the golden glow of a low-hanging light fixture. Eyes bright, he watches from across the room as Jaewon picks through a set of oil pastels on the table next to him, apparently planning how to best color in an unfinished petal. 

" _Won-ah_ ," Yeong says a little breathlessly as he approaches.

Jaewon pulls his attention away from the mural to turn toward Yeong's voice. Before he can process what's happening though, something warm and unexpected brushes against his lips. Bewildered, he blinks slowly, trying to assess what's happening. He feels Yeong's gentle hands cupping his cheeks. He inhales and everything smells like Yeong, filling his nose with the pleasant scent of coffee and floral soap. He reaches out a hand to feel Yeong's solid chest. It finally hits him and _omg_ Yeong's lips are so incredibly _soft_. _Fucking finally._

Jaewon closes his eyes and the poppy-red pastel drops out of his hand. Despite all the craziness up until now, he finds it oddly easy to trust Yeong with his whole heart. Is this really happening? What does it mean? It's all too much to process logically at the moment. He'll have to demand an explanation later because damn, Yeong is way too good at this. Jaewon's brain has no hope of working properly as long as Yeong's lips keep moving on him like this, gentle and unrelenting and... loving.

Yeong kisses Jaewon like he's got all the time in the world (he could quite literally do this all night and preferably forever). His hands move around to the back of Jaewon's neck as his mouth sculpts over Jaewon's lips over and over like his life depends on it. It's endlessly dizzying even as he takes the lead, yearning to be closer, aching to make up for all the lost time. Such precious time they could have spent doing this instead of bickering and hurting each other. He pours his lament into the kiss and it translates into an apology, a confession, a promise.

Jaewon is now senseless to anything but Yeong and his enchanting kisses. He lets his head fall back into the cradle of Yeong's hands, giving them more space to deepen the kiss. Yeong is tempted to do just that when Jaewon's hands slide up his back to keep their chests pressed flush together, close enough to feel each other's heartbeats. Jaewon can barely keep up with Yeong's tantalizing lips. He's tingling all over and already weak in the knees, clinging on to stay connected, desperate to continue drinking him in, fearfully unsure how much longer this will last if it really is just a dream.

Yeong takes a quick peek and sees that his kisses are already prompting a sweet blush to bloom over Jaewon's cheeks. Jaewon parts his lips to invite Yeong in, but ever the gentleman, Yeong holds back and regrettably peels himself away because he still has something left to say. 

Jaewon takes a steadying breath and blinks up at Yeong, starry-eyed, confused, and so _not_ ready to stop kissing yet.

Yeong smiles and presses a chaste peck at the outer corner of Jaewon's wanting mouth to beg forgiveness and patience for just a moment longer. "I know I've been an idiot," he starts, still trying to catch his breath. "But maybe that's how I know exactly how real this is. You're my best friend, I love you, and I'm never letting you go." Yeong quickly babbles before he can chicken out again.

Tears well up in Jaewon's eyes. "What the hell was in that iced tea?"

Yeong ignores the lame joke and wraps his arms around Jaewon's waist to keep him close. "You were right. I do hide behind a wall with most people, but I shouldn't have shut you out after... everything that happened. I guess I could never get all the words out because I was feeling too much all at once."

"Too much?" Jaewon isn't sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Yeong laughs. "Shut up for one second, please?"

Jaewon bites his lips together in apology and nods.

"I don't want you to keep thinking that I can't be myself around you. To be fair, I didn't even know I wasn't being myself. Until you showed me."

"I did?"

Yeong nods. "You're so _you_ all the time. You move through the world fully in your own skin. I was never able to understand it until just now."

"I mean, you're right, but... I'm still not following."

Yeong laughs. "It's okay. What I'm trying to say is, you are you and I am me and nothing else matters as long as we're together."

"That doesn't sound so complicated. Was it really so hard to figure that out?" Jaewon coos a little patronizingly. 

Yeong growls in frustration, but he's still smiling because this is exactly what he means. As usual, Jaewon is always and ever will be, unashamedly Jaewon.

"Sorry but... could you say that first part again?" Jaewon asks.

"Um... which part?"

"I don't know, I think you said something like... _I know I've been an idiot._ "

Yeong rolls his eyes just a smidge at the dig before catching Jaewon's drift. " _But maybe that's how I know exactly how real this is_..." Yeong continues.

Jaewon looks deep into Yeong's eyes now and repeats his words back to him. " _You're my best friend, I love you, and I'm never letting you go._ "

"Would it have been so hard to come up with something a little more original?" Yeong teases and Jaewon laughs, high-toned and so infectious.

There's nothing left to say. Jaewon holds Yeong's face tenderly and pulls him in to continue where they left off. He gives Yeong a gentle kiss that says _I love you_. Yeong bumps Jaewon's nose with his own, smiling as the unwanted tension between them is completely destroyed, leaving behind the endless possibilities of happiness. He returns Jaewon's kiss with one that says _and I love you._ They melt into each other as the kiss deepens, slow and real. There are no more walls standing in their way.

This is only just the beginning.

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its probably pretty obvious who's who but i just couldn't bring myself to use names in this one...   
> iwasjustreallyuncomfortableusingtheirnamesbecausethey'rerealpeopleandi'mcurrentlylivinginacountrygoingthroughalotofsocialuprisingandwealldealingwithsomerealshitrnsoimposingmyideasofsexualorientationoncharacterizationsofReALfuckingpeoplewhomibothloveandsupportasagenuinefanwasjustnotontheagendawhenistartedwritingthisOkAY!
> 
> but here it is, the kdrama that started it all for me mashed up with kpop weeee
> 
> and of course don't forget blm no justice no peace


End file.
